Road machine



Dec. 20, 19276 J. FLEMING ROAD MACHINE Filed May '2, 1926 4 Sheefs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J fiZel iwlg'.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Dec. 20, 1927.

J- FLEMING ROAD MACHINE Filed May 7, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES ya ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1927.

J. FLEMING ROAD MACHINE Filed May 7. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,559

J. FLEMING ROAD MACHINE INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 7 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

' JAMES FLEMING, or MOUNTAINSIDE, MANITOBA, CANADA.

ROAD MACHINE.

Application filed May 7,

This invention relates in general to road machines and more particularly to a road grader and drag, which serves the purpose of a grader, scraper and gravel spreader without involving the expense incident to the provision of these separate machines.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which will gradefrom both sides of the road at the same time and which can be adjusted to form the roadwith any desirable crown.

A further object is to provide a road machine having these advantages and capacities and which whenused eliminates pitch holes r and ridges heretofore so common in scraper and grader work. The great length of the machine constituting the present invention and its construction and organization also precludes the possibility of the formation of undulations or waves so common in the roads as now formed.

A furtherrobject is to provide a road machine which possesses the advantage of having the tractive power used always on the crown of the road thereby compacting it as the work proceeds.

A still further object is to provide a road machine in which the wheels always follow the cutting blades so that the cutting blades will not hoist when the wheels pass over stones or lumps.

. panying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a road machine embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view thereof in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation looking toward the left hand end of Fig. 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rearward portion of the machine,

Figure 5 is a view partly in section and partly in plan showing how the diverging bars of the grader and scraper are connected to the curved bar thereof,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6.6 of Figure 2,

1926. Serial No. 167,422.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the rearward portions of the runners, and 7 .Figure 8 is a 88 of Figure 1. I

1F ig. 9 is a perspective view of a connecting p ate.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the road machine embodying the present invention comprises a scraper, designated generally at .1, and comprising an arcuate channel bar 2 from the ends of which diverging and substantially straight angle bars 3 extend, the bars 3 being secured to the bar 2 by means of connecting plates 4 bolted or riveted to the bar 2 and to the bars 3% illustrated in Fig. 5-. Plates 6 and 7 are riveted to the bars 2 and 3, respectively, and complete the structure of the, scraper element proper. The forward ends of the bars 3 are connected to a cross bar 8 by means of combined braces and connecting plates 9 riveted or bolted to the bars 3 and to the bar 8.

A draft frame, designated generallyat 10, is provided and consists of a pair of spaced parallel angle bars 11 having their rear ends riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to the curved bar 2 of the scraper. At the forward ends of the bars 11 a draft hitch 12 is provided. As shown in Figure 2 the bars of the scraper incline downwardly and forwardly with respect to the draft frame 10 and this relation between the draft frame and the scraper is maintained by virtue-of a rivet connection 10 between the rear ends of the bars of the draft frame and the curved bar 2 of the scraper and also by virtue of brace bars 15 having their rear ends 16 bolted or riveted to the forward ends of the bars 3 of the scraper and having their forward ends 17 bolted or riveted to the bars 11 of the draft frame 10. This assembly of the parts is strengthened and further maintained by means of a supporting member or angle bar 18 having inclined end portions 19 riveted or otherwise suitably fastened, as at20, to the transverse bar 8. The central portion of the bar 18 is horizontally disposed, as indicated at 21, and this central portion engages the undersides of the angle'bars 11 of the draft frame and is fastened to such bars 11 by means of bolts or rivets 22 or other suitable fastening means.

From'intermediate points of the inclined scraper bars 3 rearwardly directed runners sectional View on the line 25 extend. Each runner is connected at its forward end to the adjacent scraper bar 3 by means of a 'V-shaped resilient connecting element 26 riveted, as at 527, to its runner and as at 28 to its bar 3. At the pointswhere the runners are connected to the scraper a transversely extending angle bar :29 is provided and has one flange riveted to angle brackets 80, the brackets 30 being riveted'to the bars 11 of the draft frame 10. The other flange of the angle bar 29 issecured to the angle'bars 3 of the scraper and to the runners 25 by means of rivets 31. The runners 25 consist of channels 32 having relatively wide shoes 33 rivetedto their lower flanges.

in the ordinary scraping and dragging operations the runners take the entire weight of the machine but when the machine 1 is used on deeply plowed roznlbeds-or newly 7 central bar 47.

' constructed roadbcds it may be desirable to take some of the weight off of the'runners and for this purpose a pair of ground wheels 35 are provided and are rotatably mounted on an axle 36 closed in a boxing 37 made up of a pair of channel bars arranged in confronting relation and suitably fastened together. The boxing of the axle is connected with the bars 3 of the scraper by means of drag irons 40, each drag iron having one end connected to an eye bolt ll provided on the axle boxing and having its other end connected, at to one of the bars 3 of the scraper, I

A lifting frame 4:5 is provided and has angularly extending bar s' tG and a straight The bars 46 and 47 are fa toned together at their forward ends by means of rivets 4:8 or the like. The rearward ends of the bars 46 project rearwardly beyond the axle boxing 37 and the portions of the bars 46 which rest on the axle boxing 37 are fastened thereto, as at 49. The rear ends of the bars tti are connected by flexible connections 50 with an angle bar 51 which is secured to and extends transversely between the runners 25 thereby flexibly connecting the runners with the lift frame. The

any one of a series of openings 59 provided in the bar 47. By varying the position of the bracket 57 on the bar 47 the extent to which the spring tends to support the machine on the lifting frame and consequently on the wheels 35 is varied.

A Windlass, designated gener/ally at 60, is

provided and is mounted on'a shaft 61 reupper end, as at 68, to the forward end of the lift fra'n'ie 45. hen the chain (Wis wound on the Windlass. as it may be by turning the shaft GL-the forward end of the lift frame is pulled downwardly and the rearward end of the lift frame swings upwardly, the frame rocking on the 'axleof the ground wheels and the ground. wheels bearing on the ground to support the runners, scraper and the draft frame'to the desired extent. This feature is especially desirable when carrying out the loading and unloading of the machine which must frequently be done when earth is being moved from a higher to a lower level. The operator accomplishes this action from the seat of the tractor without stopping thetractor and yet the earth is spread uniformly to the desired depth.

I claim r r 1. A roadmachine including a scraper hav ing a curved scraping bar and divergmg scraping bars extending from the ends of the curved scraping ars', runners connect ed with the scrapers and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a draft frame connected to the scraper and to the runners, an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assen'ibly, a lift frame secured to the axle and having its forward endprojecting in front ofthe axle and its rear end projecting rearwardly of the axle, flexible connections between the rear ends of the lift frame and the runners, and means mounted onthe draft frame and connected with the forward end of the lift frame for swinging the lift frame to control its action.

2 A road machine including a scraper having a curved scraping bar and diverging scraping bars extending from the endsof the curved scraping bars, runners connected with the scrapers and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a draft frame connected to the scraper and to the runners, an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame securedto the axle and having its forward end'projecting in front of the axle and its realend projecting rearwardly of the axle, flexible connections between the rear ends of the lift frame and the runners,. and means mounted on the draft frame and'connected with the forward end of the lift frame for swinging the lift frame to control its action and" coinprising a retracti le coil spring'conneoted to the draft frame and having an adjustable connection with the lift frame.

A road machine including a scraper having a curved scraping bar and diverging scraping bars extending from-the ends of the v curved scraping bars, runners connected with the scrapers and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a draftfra'me connected to the scraper and to the runners, an axle assembly,

ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame secured to the axle and having its forward end projecting 111 front of the axle and its rear end pro ecting rearwardly of the axle, flexible connecwith the scrapers and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a draft frame connected to the scraper and to the runners,-an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame secured to the axle and having its forward end projecting in front of the axle and its rear end projecting rearwardly of the axle, flexible connections between the rear ends of the lift frame and the runners, and means mounted on the draft frame and connected with the forward end of the lift frame for swinging the lift frame to control its action, a spring of adjustable tension connected with the draft frame and with the lift frame and manually operable means mounted on the draft frame and connected with the lift frame for pulling the lift frame downwardly to the desired extent.

5. A road machine comprising a scraper, runners connected with the scraper, a draft frame connected with the scraper, an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame fixed to the axle assembly, a connection between the lift frame and the runners, and means mounted on the draft frame and connected with the lift frame for positioning the lift frame to cause the weight of the machine to be taken to the desirable degree on the runners and ground wheels.

6. A road machine including a scraper having a curved portion and diverging straight portions, runners extending rearwardly from the straight portions of the scraper and connected to said straight portions, a draft frame, bars between the'forward ends of the scraper and the forward end of the draft frame, a cross bar extending transversely between the forward ends of the straight portion of the scraper, means for connecting the cross bar to the draft frame including an angle bar having inclined portions fastened'to the cross bar and a horizontal portion fastened to the draft frame, and means for connecting the runners to the draft frame.-

7. A road'machine including a scraper having a curved portion and diverging straight portions, runners extending rearwardly from the straight portions of the scraper and connected to sald stralght portions, a draft frame, bars between the forward ends of the scraper and the forward end of the draft frame, a cross bar extend ing transversely between the forward ends of the straight portions of the scraper, means for connecting the cross bar to the draft frame, and means for connecting the runners to the draft frame.

8. A road machine including scraper having a curved portion and diverging straight portions, runners extending rearwardly from the straight portions of the scraper and connected to said straight portions, a draft frame, bars between the forward ends of the scraper and the forward end of the draft frame, a cross bar extending transversely between the forward ends of the straight portions of the scraper, means for connecting the cross bar to the draft frame, means for connecting the runnersto the draft frame, an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame fixed to the axle assembly, means-on the draft frame for swinging the lift frame, and connections between the lift frame and the runners.

9. A road machine including a scraper having a curved portion and diverging straight portions, runners extending rearwardly from the straight portions of the scraper and connected to said straight portions, a draft frame, bars between the forward ends of the scraper and the forward end of-the draft frame, a cross bar extending transversely between the forward ends of the straight portions ofthe scraper, means for connecting the cross bar to the draft frame, means for connecting the runners to the draft frame, anaxle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a lift frame fixed to the axle assembly, means on the draft frame for swinging the lift frame, connections between the lift frame and the runners and including a transverse bar between the run 11ers, and links between the bar and the lift frame.

10. A road machine comprising a scraper,

lUO

runners connected to the scraper, a draft frame connected to the scraper and to the runners, an axle assembly, ground wheels rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a

lift frame including. diverging bars fixed to the axle assembly ad acent their rear ends and a center bar secured at: its forward ends to the: diverging bars, flexible. connections between the rear ends. ofg the diverging bars and. the runners, a retractile coil spring having its lowerend connected to the draft frame, a bracket connected to the upper end of the retraetile coil spring and .slidably mountedion the center bar of thelift frame, and. means for securing the bracketto the center bar of the lift frame in any one of a plurality of positions.

11. A road machine comprising a scraper, runners connected to the scraper, a draft frame connected to the scraper and to the runners, an axle assembly, ground Wheels.

rotatably mounted on the axle assembly, a

lift frame including diverging bars fixed to.

the axle assembly adjacent their rear ends and a center bar secured at its forward ends to the diverging bars, flexible connections between the rear ends of the diverging bars and the runners, a retractile coil spring hav ing itsv lower end connected to the draft frame, abraeket connected to the upper end of the retractile coil spring and slidably mounted on the center bar of the lift frame, means for securing the bracket tothe center bar ofthc lift frame inany one-of a plurali ty of positions, manually operable means mounted on the draft frame and connected to the forward end of the lift frame for pulling the same downwardly to the de-.

sired extent.

JAMES FLEMING. 

